Shakuntala Haritha

Pioneered India's first all-women solar engineer cooperative transforming rural energy access

Shakuntala Haritha is a visionary social entrepreneur who founded Solar Women of Andhra, India's first all-female solar engineer cooperative in 2020. Starting with just 12 women in rural Andhra Pradesh, the initiative now trains over 500 women to install solar systems in 200+ villages. Her model provides 24/7 electricity to 50,000+ households while creating economic opportunities for women previously excluded from technical fields. Featured in National Geographic's 'Women of Impact' series, she developed a 'pay-as-you-go' system allowing low-income families access to solar energy. In 2023, her organization partnered with UN Women to expand to Odisha and Bihar. She advocates for Greenpeace's energy equity campaigns, and her TED Talk 'How Solar Power is Lighting Up Women's Lives' has over 2 million views. Haritha's work was recognized with the 2022 Global Energy Prize and inspired similar initiatives across Africa and Southeast Asia.